Sure, my friends and family might laugh at the way I treasure all of the things I save from my life's significant events, but they always love my handmade cards, gifts and special albums fashioned from the things I save and give to them as presents. For me, scrapbooking is a necessity—and I'm not alone.

Ah, Labor Day, when a young man's fancy turns to ornaments. Ornaments?! Yes, it's time again to begin crafting for the holiday season (three months away and counting). Here's the recipe for one of my favorite (and easiest to make) tree-trimming decorations.

I write a lot about craft ideas that make great gifts, but what often gets lost in such articles is that I wrap a vast majority of the gifts I give in my very favorite box of all time. Download the pattern and you'll see that it is beautiful, sturdy, versatile, and a pleasure to open. I always have one or two boxes precut and ready to use.

Many crafts rely on repetition of relatively simple operations to produce complex (or complex-looking) results. Knitting, crocheting, and quilting spring to mind. Working with paper is no different, of course, as card-making, wood-block printing, and gift-wrapping prove.